Chemical and biological weapons, sometimes referred to as the “poor man's nuclear weapons,” pose a significant threat in the post-Cold War environment. The relative low cost and simplicity of their design and technology, in comparison to nuclear weapons, make them the weapons of mass destruction choice for a variety of rogue states and terrorist, non-state organizations. This threat has been made all the more tangible by the use of chemical agent in a Tokyo subway, and allegations over Iraq's development of chemical and biological weapons and its actual use of chemical weapons in combat operations.
More recently, the use of anthrax-tainted letters through the mail and the revelation of an al-Qaeda plot to explode a radioactive “dirty bomb” have made the threat real to the U.S. homeland.
According to the 1998 U.S Army Science and Technology Master Plan, “New fluorescent, acoustic, and optical biosensors are being designed for enhanced sensitivity and more flexible detection capability. Recent advances in the acceleration of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on a miniaturized scale now permit the exploitation of DNA probes for field detection of pathogens. A major thrust of a Joint Warfighting Science and Technology Plan (JWSTP) Defense Technology Objective (DTO), J.04 “Integrated Detection Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD),” is the development of a rapid, automated field detection device based on the PCR. One key DTO element is the development of recombinant antibodies to serve as the recognition element of these new biosensors (FY98). Recombinant antibodies will ultimately be designed and quickly selected from genetic “super libraries” (FY99) to have specific detection capabilities, and novel starburst dendrimers are being studied for use on tailored reactive surfaces. Another major approach to point detection is mass spectrometry (MS), and miniature automated pyrolysis-based versions are being assessed for integration into existing CBD platforms (FY01). Of critical importance for biosensor and MS approaches is bio-aerosol sampling, since characteristics (e.g., concentration of detectable units per unit volume of air) of biological aerosols differ dramatically from chemical vapors, with resulting effects on detection efficacy.”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,087,114 to Rider discloses an optoelectronic sensor that uses B-cells to detect antigens, but the sensor has limited deployment capabilities since it requires a liquid medium with nutrients to maintain the metabolic requirements of the cell.
Of particular concern, which this invention addresses, are needs for (1) detecting, classifying and capturing agents heretofore undiscovered or unanalyzed, (2) annunciating these findings with a typical total processing time from exposure of about one second, (3) compactness and relatively low cost combined with long unattended life in the field, and (4) sensitivity to agents whose lethal or otherwise effective concentration in the environment will be extremely low compared to the comparable prior art.